Timeline: What to expect in the event of a contested Presidential Election

SINGAPORE: With the Presidential Election due to be held no later than Sep 13, the process to identify potential candidates will likely start soon.

On Thursday (Jun 1), the Elections Department said the Registers of Electors will be updated and opened for public inspection later this month. 

What will happen next is the release of forms to apply for Certificates of Eligibility – the first step for people interested in becoming a candidate.

The last contested Presidential Election was in August 2011, held a few months after a hotly fought General Election. So soon after that watershed poll, the election fever seemed unabated with four candidates vying for the post.

Former President Tony Tan won the final vote back then, beating Progress Singapore Party chief and former MP Tan Cheng Bock, opposition politician Tan Jee Say and former CEO of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian.

After that, the next Presidential Election in 2017, which was reserved for Malay candidates, was uncontested. 

Following a six-year stint, President Halimah Yacob’s term ends on Sep 13, and the earliest the election can be held is three months before that – on Jun 13. She has said that she will not be standing for a second term. 

The coming Presidential Election is open to all races. 

Here’s a look at what we might expect based on the 2011 Presidential Election, when it was last contested:

QUALIFYING TO RUN

Not everyone can run for President. Before nominations, potential candidates first need to pass the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) by submitting forms to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility.

The strict criteria that presidential hopefuls must meet include having held a senior public office or helmed a company that has at least S$500 million (US$370 million) in shareholders' equity for at least three years.

These are listed in the Constitution of Singapore, including a clause that says the PEC has to be satisfied the potential candidate is a person of integrity, good character and reputation. The contender must also be at least 45 years old, and not belong to any political party.

In 2011, the Certificate of Eligibility forms were available from Jun 1.

WRIT OF ELECTION

The race officially kicks off when the Writ of Election is issued, and the deadline for aspiring candidates to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility is five days after the Writ is issued.

In 2011, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued the Writ on Aug 3 and Nomination Day was set on Aug 17.

The PEC announced the potential candidates’ eligibility on Aug 11 and four met the threshold, out of six who had applied.

In 2017, Nomination Day marked the end of the proceedings, with Madam Halimah being elected as Singapore’s eighth President, as she was the only candidate who qualified.

CAMPAIGN, POLLING

If there are multiple contenders, as in 2011, eligible candidates will start their campaigning from Nomination Day.

In 2011, Polling Day was on Aug 27, giving candidates nine days of campaigning from Aug 17 to 25. The day before the poll is designated a Cooling-Off Day when no campaigning is allowed.

Then, campaigning involved candidate broadcasts, public rallies and a televised “Meet the Candidates” forum. Each candidate staged one rally and were allowed two 10-minute candidate broadcasts.

On Cooling-Off Day, Mediacorp broadcast pre-recorded messages from all four candidates.

On Aug 27, a Saturday, 2.27 million voters headed to the polling booths.

The results were announced in the wee hours of Aug 28 after a recount, with Dr Tony Tan edging out Dr Tan Cheng Bock by a thin margin.